Translating "Gender" in the Arab World: Implications for Public Policy

This paper highlights the importance of using the term ‘gender’ in Arabic and its relevance to public policy in the Arab world. The paper, written in Arabic for a primarily Arabic speaking audience, presents a definition of the term ‘gender’ and explores the problematic issues related to how the term was translated and adopted in Arabic and the debates among Arab feminists and gender scholars regarding the term's translation. It then outlines the importance of using a gender lens in the Arab world for both theoretical and applied considerations. Finally the paper presents recommendations for how to increase awareness about the term ‘gender’ in Arabic among teaching institutions, policy -making circles, and civil society groups.